The Newtown bee., 1887-12-23
Our New York Letter.

 all are doing their best to celebrate the day in the good old fashioned style. The store windows. brilliant with rare, costly and attractive gifts, are dangerously fas cinating. Many hard earned dollar is drawn from it's safe retreat and even the old stocking, with it's scanty hoard of coins saved for rainy day. is brought into requistion to buy loving remembrance for the dear ones at home.
 This giving of presents has increased to an alarming extent. Not only is every day of importance commemorated by gifts; but these gifts are frequently of great value. Indeed, there seems to be kind of rivalry among the donors. each striving to outdo the others. The bad ef- feet of such a system is undoubted A present that might easily be within the means of one purchaser, would far exceed the resources of another Prudence, there fore, dictates a certain moderation The | proper limit of expenditure is not the end | of our purse; the line should be drawn | much sooner. Notwithstanding this man. ifest truth, Custom,or shall We call it Van- ity, induces a widespread and senseless emulation. The Germans, l am told, have carried this practice so far that they even borrow money to buy Christmas presents. In acting thus, they destroy the beauty and pleasure of the festival. The true value of gift is not its cost that is but small part. Its real worth is l~, 4l> TA shows us that We still live in the memory of our friends. No one likes to be forgot ten. How pleasant is it, then, to receive proofs, from time to time, that those we love are thinking of us A simple, inex- pensiye object will show this as we'll as the most costly works of art or the richest productions of Nature. The moral to be drawn from this is plain. Let us clothe our friendship in so unpretending garb that it's honesty may be apparent to all. We shall then approach this season of joy and thanksgiving with feelings suited to the occasion, not, as is too often the case at the present time, with bitter regrets for the heavy expenses incurred.
 The pleasant weather of the last two or three weeks has given a great impetus to trade. The streets are crowded with an eager, bustling tbrong, surging backward and forward with vast noise and endless confusion. The horse cars, the elevated trains, the omnibuses in fact all means of public conveyance are taxed 10 their ut- most capacity. Even then they can hard ly supply the demand. Oyercrowding is seen everywhere. The city is growing with unexampled rapidity and the facili- ties for the transportation of passengers are becoming wretchedly inadequate. The blood flowing through the congested ar- teries must be drawn off into new chan nels. New roads must be built but where? That is the most important question of the day. It's answer is still involved in obscurity. We already have four elevat ed roads and public opinion natural ly objects to any further extension of the system. Horse cars now occupy every avenue, with the exception of Fifth, so nothing more can be done in that direct ion. Whither then shall we turn for re- lief? There are two solutions to this prob- lem. We can either have an underground road, similar to that used in London. or an elevated road, supported on a stone viaduct, running between the blocks The latter system is the most desirable It is open, however. to one objection. The ex- pense of erection would be enormous. The execution of the Chicago Anarchists | has had most beneficial result, as every | reasoning person expected. It has shown | that the people, when aroused, understand | their rights and are ready to enforce them This fact, which at one time seem- ed doubtful, has now been admitted even I by the befogged and semi-barbarous l minds of the German Socialists. In a speech delivered at Chicago, December 1 12, man named Gloys. who was former | ly a most rabid Anarchist, gave plain ex- pression to this change of opinion. He deprecated the principle of revenge, as l being utterly incapable of accomplishing ! any good end. You could not, he said, punish individuals for the crimes of
 
 only involve yourself in ruin. In conclus- ion he gave his audience the following good advice:
 Never forget the lesson purchased with the blood of your fellow citizens and paid with their death, that no death-despising, heroic courage of individuals is able to shake the people out of it's insolence and laziness and that the present order. as bad as it is and as much as it merits it, cannot be blown up with dynamite.
 Now that the foul-mouthed agitators, who sought the shelter of our institutions against the fury of their government have learned the difference between republic aud a monarchy. between freedom and despotism, We may hope for peace.
 short story is told which illustl atps in an amusing way the real effect of Social ism. Two small boys were playing hap oily together. Suddenly, the elder, who l was somewhat taller than his companion and therefore dictatorial. stopped the game with wave of the hand: Lets play 1 Socialists" he said, in tone of decision.
 The other having no objections to make the new game was entered upon with great enthusiasm
 ..This. said the inventor, pointing to a row of chairs, '.is a train of cars"
 And who is to be the conductor" ask ed the younger boy.
 I No one,' answered his instructor, gag ;no unon him m,fh confampf ssG.o;al;ofc never pay anything This was perfectly